Planning Minister and ANC stalwart Trevor Manuel has urged Julius Malema to come clean on his financial affairs amid ongoing claims over the youth league leader’s R16 million Sandton mansion.
In an interview on the UK’s Channel 4 documentary Unreported World last night, Manuel acknowledged “high level” corruption among senior officials and that conviction rates were too low.
Respected journalist Krishnan Guru-Murthy is told to “mind your business” by Malema after he challenged the youth leader over the funding of his Sandton house.
Guru-Murthy asked: “People in the townships, they say how is Mr Malema getting a new expensive mansion when I’ve been waiting decades?”
Dressed in an Orlando Pirates tracksuit top, the smiling youth league boss replied: “Where do I get money to build such a mansion within a short space of time? It’s none of your business. Mind your business. How I make my money…”
Guru-Murthy asked again: “But you’re here to justify…”
Malema interrupted: “I didn’t come here to justify. I came here to tell you to mind your business. I’m not here to justify to you.”
Guru-Murthy added: “Well I’m just asking you what the poor people say about rich ANC politicians and they say why are they living so well while we’re living so badly?”
Malema concluded: “It’s not about where we stay. Our people know that very well. It’s not about the type of shoes we wear, that is petty.”
In the half-hour documentary filmed two months ago, Guru-Murthy visited Diepsloot and Kliptown to investigate poor property conditions and alleged corruption among local housing officials. They caught an official on camera taking a R5 000 bribe to help a family leapfrog the housing queue.
They also visited Malema’s house in Sandton where a site manager warned them to “close your eyes and go” and threatened to damage their television equipment before telling them to “get f****d”.
Asked about the allegedly corrupt housing official in Diepsloot who used to be an ANC councillor but now works in local government, Manuel told the programme: “I say it frequently, that all corruption is theft from the poor. An official like that needs to be reported, needs to be acted upon.
“I think that the planning commission would concur that there is too much corruption. our conviction rates are too low, the investigations are too poor, but every instance is an instance too many.”
When asked if Malema’s financial affairs should be investigated, Manuel said: “I do think that he should, I think that all of us who have influence over political processes should be open to scrutiny.”
The construction of the mansion is a source of major consternation for neighbours.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, they told how the drilling underground had dug up pavements, damaged several irrigation systems and become an irritant in the quiet gated neighbourhood.
Many are too scared to speak out openly about what they see as an inappropriately large building for fear of being branded racist.
According to one resident, about a month ago the neighbourhood was left without water for several hours after the contractor had drilled into the water pipes that supplied some of the residents in the estate.
“We had to call Joburg Water to come fix the damaged pipes, while the contractor did not even bother to report that water that was running down the street,” said the resident.
“What probably irritates everyone is that they are getting away with so much. If I was to build in the same area, I would not get the approvals overnight as Malema gets.”
Neighbours said when they inquired with the contractor about approvals on many of the activities, they were shown what appeared to be legitimate official plans from the City of Joburg with Joburg Water letterheads.
Meanwhile, Malema, the man at the centre of this spat, spent the week in hospital suffering from stress and exhaustion as the disciplinary hearing against him and his top officials, continued in absentia.
It is unlikely to be wrapped up next Saturday, the date set for it to resume in the latest of at least four postponements since the end of August, according to insiders.
ANC spokesman Keith Khoza said it would have been preferable to wrap up the hearings, but a number of issues had been raised, including “political arguments”, which had led to the postponements.
Malema’s lawyer, advocate Dali Mpofu, said his client’s health was a concern. While he acknowledged that Sexwale would testify next Saturday, Mpofu declined to confirm who else might appear. It was not clear whether Malema was discharged as expected from the Limpopo Medi-Clinic yesterday after his condition was described as “tired and stressed”.
ANCYL spokesman Floyd Shivambu declined to provide an update on Malema’s health, saying it was “disrespectful”.
Meanwhile, a TNS research survey showed this week that Malema’s popularity among young people had dropped to 40 percent.
- Saturday Star
In an interview on the UK’s Channel 4 documentary Unreported World last night, Manuel acknowledged “high level” corruption among senior officials and that conviction rates were too low.
Respected journalist Krishnan Guru-Murthy is told to “mind your business” by Malema after he challenged the youth leader over the funding of his Sandton house.
Guru-Murthy asked: “People in the townships, they say how is Mr Malema getting a new expensive mansion when I’ve been waiting decades?”
Dressed in an Orlando Pirates tracksuit top, the smiling youth league boss replied: “Where do I get money to build such a mansion within a short space of time? It’s none of your business. Mind your business. How I make my money…”
Guru-Murthy asked again: “But you’re here to justify…”
Malema interrupted: “I didn’t come here to justify. I came here to tell you to mind your business. I’m not here to justify to you.”
Guru-Murthy added: “Well I’m just asking you what the poor people say about rich ANC politicians and they say why are they living so well while we’re living so badly?”
Malema concluded: “It’s not about where we stay. Our people know that very well. It’s not about the type of shoes we wear, that is petty.”
In the half-hour documentary filmed two months ago, Guru-Murthy visited Diepsloot and Kliptown to investigate poor property conditions and alleged corruption among local housing officials. They caught an official on camera taking a R5 000 bribe to help a family leapfrog the housing queue.
They also visited Malema’s house in Sandton where a site manager warned them to “close your eyes and go” and threatened to damage their television equipment before telling them to “get f****d”.
Asked about the allegedly corrupt housing official in Diepsloot who used to be an ANC councillor but now works in local government, Manuel told the programme: “I say it frequently, that all corruption is theft from the poor. An official like that needs to be reported, needs to be acted upon.
“I think that the planning commission would concur that there is too much corruption. our conviction rates are too low, the investigations are too poor, but every instance is an instance too many.”
When asked if Malema’s financial affairs should be investigated, Manuel said: “I do think that he should, I think that all of us who have influence over political processes should be open to scrutiny.”
The construction of the mansion is a source of major consternation for neighbours.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, they told how the drilling underground had dug up pavements, damaged several irrigation systems and become an irritant in the quiet gated neighbourhood.
Many are too scared to speak out openly about what they see as an inappropriately large building for fear of being branded racist.
According to one resident, about a month ago the neighbourhood was left without water for several hours after the contractor had drilled into the water pipes that supplied some of the residents in the estate.
“We had to call Joburg Water to come fix the damaged pipes, while the contractor did not even bother to report that water that was running down the street,” said the resident.
“What probably irritates everyone is that they are getting away with so much. If I was to build in the same area, I would not get the approvals overnight as Malema gets.”
Neighbours said when they inquired with the contractor about approvals on many of the activities, they were shown what appeared to be legitimate official plans from the City of Joburg with Joburg Water letterheads.
Meanwhile, Malema, the man at the centre of this spat, spent the week in hospital suffering from stress and exhaustion as the disciplinary hearing against him and his top officials, continued in absentia.
It is unlikely to be wrapped up next Saturday, the date set for it to resume in the latest of at least four postponements since the end of August, according to insiders.
ANC spokesman Keith Khoza said it would have been preferable to wrap up the hearings, but a number of issues had been raised, including “political arguments”, which had led to the postponements.
Malema’s lawyer, advocate Dali Mpofu, said his client’s health was a concern. While he acknowledged that Sexwale would testify next Saturday, Mpofu declined to confirm who else might appear. It was not clear whether Malema was discharged as expected from the Limpopo Medi-Clinic yesterday after his condition was described as “tired and stressed”.
ANCYL spokesman Floyd Shivambu declined to provide an update on Malema’s health, saying it was “disrespectful”.
Meanwhile, a TNS research survey showed this week that Malema’s popularity among young people had dropped to 40 percent.
- Saturday Star
1 comment:
The M&G understands that Malema is being investigated by Sars for outstanding tax liabilities. There are rumours in ANC and law enforcement circles that Human Settlements Minister Tokyo Sexwale settled Malema's personal tax debt with a payment of about R5-million, including a donations tax. But this was denied.
Through a spokesperson, Sexwale said: "We note your questions. Someone is trying to set you up."
M&G amaBhugane
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